Serena Williams, of the United States, tosses the ball on a serve to Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain, during a quarterfinal of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

NEW YORK — From an ace on the first point to a stinging return on the last, Serena Williams was close to perfect in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

The score said it all: 6-0, 6-0.

Yes, Williams is looking better and better with each match at the year’s last Grand Slam tournament. With two more wins — no matter the exact scores — she’ll earn a fifth title at Flushing Meadows and 17th major championship overall.

The No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams shut out 18th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, winning 53 of 71 points and dominating pretty much every statistical category Tuesday night. The first set took all of 19 minutes. The second was slower, lasting 33 minutes, but no less lopsided.